Notes and Comments.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2453, 22 September 1914, Page 2

Notes and Comments.

To-day's Anniversarie;-. Sultan Selim I. died, 1521. Batftle of Zatphen, 1586. Chesterfield born, 1694. Coronation of George 111., 1760. First French Republic established, 1792. Michael Faraday born, 1791. Berbjce surrendered to British, 1803.

Why Not Feilding? The papers of Palmerston were very much annoyed when word went round that the next encampment of expeditionary troops would be held otherStvhere than Awapuni and the town ;«ps enterprising enough to urge the jGovernment against such a shocking |gfing. For, of course, Palmerston ,Wjgs "reapjhg a rich harvest- from the encampment still in season. Yet, look: Whenjfit was rumoured that the (200 iLTorisV: jt the front were to go Jiiito cainpKgt Awapuni, the Standard •■shrieked thas itmvisely: "We publish the rumour for what it is worth, but if there is. any truth in it, a strong protest'should - by the public, particularly ihA-iew of Dr. Ma.kgill's statements respecting • typhoid cases amongst the Maoris and the existence of -persons" among them known as of disease." We feel sure 'that Feilding would not be afraid to have the' within its vicinity,, Andjt'herchird expeditionary ■•force might sent along here, a better site than either ■Awapuni or Trehtham.

The Drought that Threatened. v „*■*■ -• hand,- from the other side of • Tasman Sea show that tlie drought broke just in time. The outlook only , a right ago was such that it ' tinged ev-eryfliing— even in the federal political campaign candidates dealt ftiore with ihe drought and the war than.,!with Liberal or Labour questions. A question was put to a dozen delegates in different parts of the Commonwealth as to whether their annual conference should be held this year. One delegate replied in the negative with the arguments of "'the war and droughty conditions," and another also vetoed it, "in face of the very depressed times occasioned by war and drought." Mr A. W. Rutherford, the Canterbury squatter who sat in our Parliament for some years, ha.s just returned from a tour pf Australia, and he gives a very sombre picture of the effects of the drought in South Australia: "There was no grass at all. We heard that stock on tho farms was dying, and that somo gi the farmers had shot half their stock in order to conserve the food for the remainder. Cows and horses were just turned out on the roads to take their chanc*e. Hundreds of thousands of acres had been abandoned. It is said to bo the worst drought for forty years, and' must have a serious eifeot upon the crops. But the saving rain came, thanks bo, and now Australia smiles some more again.